For What It's Worth
by LoveBackwards
Summary: Mod. Drabble series. A sequence of events, from beginning to end, of the relationship between Sokka and Azula.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer; I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. _

_This will be a short series! Two-three chapters tops, please review!~_

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Dead Inside.**

Sokka remembered when they'd started; it seemed like forever ago. He was sure that to her it was a game, a little experimentation of what seemed forbidden. He knew his family warned her (_she's crazy_, _don't bother_), he could only imagine what hers said. Ozai even refused to meet him, he though that'd be their end, but still they went on. He joined her in the sick twisted game, visiting her during her lunch and sleeping by her side at night. Every night; they were barely together two months when he moved in.

Of course fights were frequent, more arguments if anything. Sokka knew he wouldn't win her pointless instigations so he chose to ignore most of them. Then the day came he couldn't bear it anymore, her knocking him down; mocking him. She even went as far as to attack his family and place in society. He didn't hit her, though he was tempted. He walked out the front door; 'Goodbye, Azula'. That was all he said and he felt her tight grip on the sleeve of his jacket. He looked over and for the first time in his life, Sokka saw worry in the stubborn monster's eyes. He arched a brow in frustration, as though giving her a chance to explain herself.

"I want it the way it was." She mumbled with a shaky breath and he let his muscles relax. She looked terrified, so Sokka took on the role he naturally seemed to with her. He pulled her close to him and ran his fingers through her silky hair. He did so until her body stopped shaking.

**Decadence.**

It was a peaceful day, the kind the young couple seemed to favor. The sunny weather was the only kind Azula seemed to agree to go out in, so he sat with her on a blanket in the park. With her head rested back on his lap he stroked her hair and she stared above. He lazily yawned. She was working so much for that extra promotion now he hardly got to see her.

"Azula?" Sokka looked down to her and, in response, she tilted her head up. She made a 'hm' sound through pursed lips, giving him a signal that showed he had her full attention. Then again, when didn't he? He was the first person she saw when she woke up before him (sometimes even left the house before he was awake) and the last person she saw before she drifted off to sleep. He always made sure of it. "Why are you so…distant with people?" It was like the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. The thin tension laced with that question gave him that feeling. He regretted it, but he couldn't remember the last time Mai or Ty Lee had stopped by to visit her.

"What do you mean?" She asked sharply and he could tell she was getting defensive by her tone. It was negative. As he opened his mouth, a drop of water landed on her forehead, causing her to sit up quickly and wipe it away. They looked up in unison at the grey sky and he pulled her to her feet while scooping up the blanket to lead her back to the car. The rain poured as they sat in the seats, passengers and drivers, panting from the sprint. It was a good interruption, he supposed, so instead of reminding her he merely drove in silence. He was sure she was grateful for it, too.

"That was close." He smiled and took cold of her petite hand, only she slid it from his. He looked over to her with worry written across his face.

"Everyone left me, Sokka, I didn't leave them. Everyone I ever thought would be there is gone, now. My hope's run dry." She whispered as she stared out the window and he gave a faint nod, though she didn't see it. The rest of the ride went silent, aside from the rain beating against the window.

**Addicted.**

Sokka let out a grunt as he gave one last thrust, her gasp as a response was enough for him to pull out and lean down from his propped up elbows to kiss her nape. His lips brushed away the small beads of sweat and her nails eased their way out of the skin on his back. His muscled eased in relief and her legs slid down, having been wrapped around his waist. Her hair was messily under her head; he pushed it aside to roll beside her.

What happened before this? Now he remembered; there had been a fight. She was the one accusing, the one saying he was screwing around on her. Wasn't she the one that came home late every Tuesday and Thursday? Yeah, he noticed, but he didn't want to press the issue. 'Those are the days I take up extra hours' she'd excuse her self. He wasn't sure if the fight wasn't worth it or if he just didn't want to know if it was true or not. He wasn't ready to face that his girlfriend might be cheating on him; she had always been a lot more jealous of Mai since she got with Azula's ex, Jet. Rumor had it he was single for the time being.

Azula sat up and leaned her back against the headboard as she lit her Marlboro Light cigarette and broke his thoughts with a heavy cloud of smoke. She glanced at him through the corner of her eye and smirked, she knew her smoking disgusted him. Some days, she just liked to piss him off; just for the hell of it. That was Sokka's conclusion.

"Come hold me, Sokka. Isn't that what you're supposed to do after sex?" Injury to insult; she always mocked him for being affectionate. He wasn't sure if it'd bother her if he treated like shit, but then he remembered of course it would. Azula never had a guy that was actually nice to her, so he was breaking her in. Still, the mocking got under his skin. So did the smoking. Did she fake the orgasm, too? He rolled over on the bed and faced his back to her. It was a cycle.

Fight, angry sex, aggravate angry sex. The past month that was all that happened between them. Oh, that was in between her tight work schedule. He heard her snicker, she was amused. Of course she was; he was bothered again. He felt the bed shift under her weight as she crawled over to him and stroked his shoulder slyly with his hand. He wanted to shrug it off but instead he ignored it.

"What's the matter, you know I'm only teasing you." She whispered in his ear. He could feel the end of her bangs drag on his cheek; it gave him the urge to scratch but he didn't. He moved his head a little more so his face was in the pillow and felt her crawl on top of him, her legs at both his sides while she sat on his hip. She leaned forward. "I'm sorry, Sokka." She never was. "I'll be quiet now." No she wouldn't.

"There's got to be more to you and me." He said, for the first time openly doubting their relationship to her. Azula lifted herself so she was sitting straight and remained silent, for the first time thinking over what he just said.

**How Could You?**

"I don't even know why I come home anymore!" She shrieked. He was always this way lately, no more coming home to a well-cooked dinner (one his pathetic sister instructed him on how to make) or even a sweet welcome home. Now he jumped down her throat when she walked in the door, asking her why she was so late. She was exactly sixteen minutes later than usual, that wasn't so unbelievable considering the traffic outside. Still, he was accusing her. Azula hated being accused.

"Me either! You seem to love your precious 'work' more than anything around here, including me!" He retorted. It wasn't even like him to yell at her, she wasn't sure Sokka ever raised his voice to her. She wanted to slap that angry look off his face; she wanted him to cool off and try to brush off the whole argument. Was he sexually frustrated, was that what he was implying right now? Sex, she had been working long hours, maybe this was just a build up.

"You know that isn't true!" While she tried to figure it out, she couldn't help but yell back. She had to defend her case somehow. "You know I love you, love you enough to put up with this shit every day!" She couldn't read him like she usually could. His eyes always showed how he felt, right now it was rage. But over what? Sixteen fucking minutes?

"This shit? Want me to work all day every day so I can avoid you, too? If you want, I can come home and pretend nothing is going on, too! Let me put on my perfect face like Azula!" He got to his feet, having been sitting on the couch and whipped the remote to his side at the wall. It fell apart to pieces, she noticed he wasn't angry enough to harm her; he threw it the opposite direction.

"Oh, and just what are you implying, Sokka?" She asked in a calm tone, the one that she was sure to win this fight in. She had to keep her calm, anyway. Someone had to be more even-headed than him.

"Everybody knows about you and fucking Jet." He waited for her to shout at him. For her to say he was an idiot for believing what anyone said; of course they'd tell him that, they hated her. He waited for her to justify herself, to tell him she really was working. She took up extra hours, she was sorry for running late. Tell him he was an idiot, again, for even considering that. He waited for her to say she was loyal to him.

She didn't; instead Azula stared at him with her lips parted slightly. She was ready to say something, so he continued to stand before her with furrowed brows that slowly loosened as she approached him. She wasn't angry, she was scared again. Why would she be so worried? Once she promised him nothing happened, he'd believe her. He wouldn't question or doubt her; he'd even apologize for accusing her of such things. They would put this behind him and he'd never question it again. Ever.

She looped her arms around his neck as she stared him in the eyes. It was like a different person, this girl with a fragile expression on her face. No smirk, no words of justification to herself. Instead, she mouthed 'I'm sorry'. He continued to stare at her, waiting for her to slap him, 'I'm sorry you'd think something like that', or one of her more clever comebacks.

"It was…one time…S…" Her voice trailed off and she averted her gaze. It stung, him being so faithful and now she couldn't even speak his name. He wanted to wring her delicate neck; he thought maybe it'd snap. He didn't care. He knew his girlfriend was a liar; she was practically famous for it. Still, he at least trusted her to be faithful.

"How could you cheat on me?" He whispered anger and hurt dominating everything his body possessed. She started to stammer words, she was always so strong until she realized how wrong she was, wrong about everything. Azula watched as he roughly grabbed her arms and shoved her aside, carelessly with a force that caused her body to fall against the couch. It shouldn't have hurt, but it did, her body landing on her hip and side. She sat up but it wasn't quick enough.

He was already out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

**Make Up Your Mind.**

She sat at the opposite side of the couch. Three weeks ago, she had finally confessed she and Jet had a one night stand. Today was Sokka's second day back. She didn't understand how his mind worked. He wanted to work it out, for some reason. If he ever did that to her, she wouldn't want to see him again, let alone be the one to work things out. Then again, she was questioning it now. She felt so much relief since he'd been back, even if they were barely speaking to each other. He hadn't even made snide remarks. She was sure he didn't want it brought up again. Still, if she caught him in the morning she'd greet him with an 'I love you' and if he went on ignoring her over the course of the day, she'd apologize. He'd say 'forget about it', like he wasn't thinking it over every single day.

She closed her book and placed it at her side, crawling over to him on the couch. She poked his shoulder and he looked over from whatever it was watching on TV. She smirked at him and pecked his lips, receiving a forced half-smile in response. Three weeks she kissed his ass and for what, sure she'd done wrong but she was trying to move forward, one of them was.

"Look, either you forgive me or you don't." She whispered through clenched teeth and he rolled his eyes and averted his attention back to the TV. She growled in her throat, hoping at least that would catch his interest.

"Do you really want to push me to an answer, Azula?" He asked without much thought or emotion. She remained silent, doubting the implication she suspected. "I didn't think so, when I'm ready to really forgive you you'll know, until then, it'd be nice to have some space." Space? Didn't he come back to her? Didn't he move in her house? She huffed and crossed her arms, shifting uncomfortably, maybe it'd annoy him.

"I miss it when you were happy." She said, she could tell he was listening even though his eyes seemed glued to the television. "And I'm not just talking about since the whole Jet thing, before, when we started out. When you used to actually make me smile." She went on, not realizing the words that escaped her. Why hadn't she just lied when he accused her? Surely he'd believe her over anyone that was against her; especially over Jet. Still, she couldn't find it in herself to lie to Sokka. Then how could she find it in herself to cheat on him?

"Hard to keep a happy face when you're with someone who likes to see you miserable." He spat. 'I wish I never met you', it was a reoccurring thought in his mind, but he couldn't make it go to his lips. If he really didn't want to be here he'd leave. He'd never have come back.

She leaned back on the couch; she'd wait until he was better. Let this blow over; maybe it'd be better in another week. Maybe in the morning.

**Always.**

She quietly crept in the room. Under the covers she could make out his outline, rolled to his side, barely awake at half past noon. She sat on her knees on the floor beside, brushing his hair out of his face. Some of his hair matted to the sweat on his forehead, his fever hadn't broken yet. It was high, too. She wasn't sure what to do; she couldn't remember the last time this had happened. He stirred, flickering his eyes as she pulled the blanket over his shoulder.

"Azula?" He murmured and she crawled up to sit on the end of the bed, stroking his back in a motherly gesture. He closed his eyes with a smile on his face. She must be doing something right, something to sink him into contentment. "I love you…" He whispered, and a faint smile graced her lips. This whole thing, this bitter argument, it must be over; or close.

"I felt…isolated. After you came back." She felt lost when he was gone. He nodded and looked up, his smile still plastered there on his face. She missed it; it had been months since he seemed truly happy to be around her.

"I didn't like it either…it was once, so I figured y'know…we'd work it out. You can't do it again, Azula. Under any circumstances." His expression got serious as he ended and she nodded, silently giving him her word.

"It's not something I'm proud of." She wouldn't state aloud it was her biggest regret, hurting him like that. She wasn't good at expressing how much she cared for people.

"I love you." He said again calmly. She laughed lightly and leaned forward, gently pressing her lips to his nose. His azure eyes filled with warmth and caring, how she missed that look.

"I hate you." She teased. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him.

**Life Starts Now.**

Sokka stretched his arms over his head as he lazily walked to the bathroom. His vision was still groggy from the night's slumber; he had to be to work in about an hour. He heard Azula start to get ready in the room, but he didn't really look. She was always routine; he had it down by now. Everything was back to normal finally, or as close to normal as they would be. He scoffed as he looked at himself in the mirror. What a mess, his hair everywhere, it was no wonder Azula sneered at him when he went to kiss her goodbye.

As he stepped in the shower he grew concerned. Sure, he had been the past couple weeks, but her behavior was getting more and more peculiar when he hoped it'd get better. She was distant, saddened. Maybe she was depressed, even if she was; she would never listen to him about it. Maybe guilt was eating at her. 'Good' a small part of him thought but as he exhaled his sigh he regretted thinking such a thing. He'd try talking to her again at dinner.

"What's wrong?"

"Everything."

That was how it went last night, who said it would be any different? He shook his head as he stepped out into the steam filled room and dried his hair before loosely wrapping the white towel around his waist. He would be more persistent. He would have to be if this was really going to work. He opened the medicine cabinet for his comb and cocked his head as he pulled out an unfamiliar bottle of pills. Prescription? He paced out of the shower, seeing her with one foot out the door. At the sight of what was clenched in his hand, Azula went to book it.

"Azula!" He called and she groaned as she stopped; disgust was her expression. He pulled her inside and clicked the front door shut, watching her cross her arms and impatiently tap her foot. "What's this?'

"What does it look like, Sokka?" She quipped and he frowned.

"Azula, who gave this to you?" He waited for her to answer. It was obvious these weren't helping her with whatever inner struggle she had now. His worry grew as he thought of the possibilities, only stopping when Azula wiped her eyes and looked away.

"He says if I keep this up with you…he's cutting me off. Not money, just everything…it was cute at first, but now it's ridiculous, that's what he says." She explained and Sokka knew it was Ozai. He always had a way of getting to her, even though he never seemed to support her personal decisions. He liked that she was so wrapped around his finger, but to Azula she was in control of their relationship.

"Azula…what…what are you gunna do?" He asked and as expected, she turned for the door. Avoiding feelings was always easiest, wasn't it? He pulled her back and she glared. "This is serious."

She cried. She'd never broken down before; at least not in front of him. His heart sank as he pulled her off the ground and carried her to the couch, cradling in his lap. Within five minutes she was silent, staring blankly at the wall. She bottled up too much, look where it got her just a few minutes ago. He softly kissed her forehead.

"I understand…if that's what you want."

"It's not." She looked up and he couldn't hide his grin. He meant more to her than her father, whether she realized it or not she was proving to him how much she loved him. She didn't seem to take notice, fixing her blouse and pencil skirt as she squirmed to stand up. "Just…I'll be back after work, like any other day." She wiped her eyes and he pulled her back to sit down. He mouthed 'relax' to her and she rolled her eyes, playing with the pill bottle that she took from his palm. He watched her contently and she threw it aside.

"You've done all the things that could kill you somehow." He whispered and she grinned, like it was some type of twisted compliment. "No more, promise?"

"…promise." She hesitated.

**All Or Nothing.**

Azula filed her nails quietly on the bed. She hadn't told her father she was staying with Sokka, she didn't really want to. She hoped he just had been having a bad day when he threatened her, that it was just impulse and he decided to take his problems out on her – their relationship; never her. She bit her bottom lip as she looked over to Sokka, who was aggressively playing his Xbox. She sighed and looked away; he was such a boy some days.

"Want a try?" He offered and she shook her head dismissively, hoping he'd drop it. Of course he wouldn't. "I bet you doo…" He drawled, pausing the game just to look over to her.

"No, Sokka, it's a dumb game." She rolled her eyes and tensed when he pulled her over on the bed by her leg. She hissed and he snickered, pecking her lips teasingly. "Get your hands off me."

"You're just scared I'll kick your ass." He taunted, waiting to let her ponder it. Losing to the likes of him, it would eat at her. He knew Azula too well. She grabbed the controller at the foot of the bed and pulled her knees up, a determined look on her face. His expression went smug.

"Tell me how to play." She demanded and he reluctantly did so. He yanked her onto his lap and pushed the controllers aside after a few minutes of losing; letting her win. She growled and swatted his hands away from her tank top.

"C'mon, you won; we don't need to play anymore." He held her hips on his lap as he playfully kissed her neck, something she couldn't push away. He knew that she wouldn't say it aloud, but she loved his gentleness. Kind of the same way he liked her roughness.

"Sokka, we didn't even finish." She said matter-of-factly, only now she was leaning into his hold and accepting his warm kisses. He sighed; she just had to officially win everything, didn't she? Ignoring it, he pulled her down and she stopped fighting when he locked lips with her, feeling her smile as he deepened the kiss to the best of his ability. He pulled her shirt over her head and let her hair loose, surprised when she pushed his chest back and propped herself up.

"Yeah?" He panted, in a slight daze. She sighed and traced invisible lines on his toned chest, resting hers against his. A glint of worry flickered in her eyes, so he stayed quiet and laced his fingers with hers, palm to palm. She was about to tell him something, maybe Ozai abandoned her and she was ready to talk about it; maybe ready to leave him because of it.

"Sokka…I'm pregnant." She spat with venom on her tongue and his eyes grew wide. Her brows were furrowed out of pure frustration; she had to control everything, even this. "It's your fault and now…I don't know what I'm going to do. I mean, abortion looks worse than keeping it." Always about how she presented herself to everyone. "I can't believe you did this." Takes two to tango, sweetheart.

"Azula…"

"What am I supposed to do?" She asked seriously, looking him straight in the eye. He was too shocked to answer; she was asking him like she was asking if he wanted toast with his eggs. She didn't care? Was this a test, even Azula couldn't be so careless about a decision like this. "Well?"

"…keep it." He assured and she cocked her head at him, obviously not expecting such a response.

"Sokka, you're already in hot water with my father, and you're dragging me down with you." Always how she presented herself to everyone. "I can't handle being a mother. There's no way we're ready for this, what about adoption?" Still so casual, it irked him. He shook his head and kissed her fingers, of course the thought scared him but if he revealed it to her she wouldn't even acknowledge that he was just maybe a little excited. She'd get rid of it. "What am I supposed to tell him?"

"We're getting married." He said with a smile and she sat up straight, ready to protest. He sat up with her so they were eye-level. "After everything, I think we can handle it." He whispered, surprised she even looked like she was considering it. "I mean, it's unexpected, but I could get you a ring, this could be real."

"Sokka, you're out of your mind." She finally shot down the offer.

"I know I'm good for something, let's go on give it a try." He pleaded. "Azula, I love you…you love me. Do you really want to be with anyone else?" She didn't answer; he didn't expect her to. "It's us now…you and I, against the world, I'm willing to take the challenge if you are."

"…it better be a nice ring." She smirked and he grinned like a child, embracing her and kissing the side of her face sloppily. She scrunched her nose but let him, not one to get overly-excited over such things. He knew it'd take more time proving he meant it to her, its ok; he had all the time and the world.

"You're all mine." He whispered in her ear.


	3. Chapter 3

**18 Wheeler.**

She walked silently down the aisle, courteously as she was taught. Of course elegance seemed to come naturally to Azula, and so she kept her arm slyly wrapped around her father's with a faint smile on her scarlet lips; enough to please the crowd. Things seemed to be looking up, she barely expected Ozai to approve let alone walk her down the aisle to give her away. It was reassuring in a sense; she hadn't even mentioned her pregnancy yet. Afterwards she'd tell him, it'd just look better. This wouldn't seem strained and forced so she would be talked out of leaving Sokka.

When they reached the alter, Ozai gave a firm nod as confirmation this was real. He didn't peck her cheek; didn't even smile. That stung, not as much as what was about to come, though. He went to sit in the front row and she looked forward to Sokka, who was smiling nervously. He was always nervous over things like this; he was a bad presenter no matter how he tried to play it off. She smirked to him and rolled her eyes to tease, but she was nervous, too.

As their vows were read, Azula seemed to drone out the pastor's voice. It sounded wicked, but his tone was so flat and dreary. This guy must be Mai's grandfather. She glanced at the audience before her, through the corner of her eye so she didn't look like she was attempting to distract herself from being put to sleep. She saw Ty Lee in the front, waving energetically. If anyone would give her away, it was her peppy former-friend. Mai sat more towards the middle, Jet with his arm loosely wrapped around her shoulder. A small pinch of jealousy struck her, and then she remembered she was better off. Sokka had given her more than Jet ever could. Ten-year-old Tom-Tom sat at the edge of his seat, trying his best to see over the shoulders in front of him. She saw Zuko seated in the front, staring blankly until he caught her glimpse. To her surprise, he smiled and rolled his eyes to tease her, the same way she had to Sokka.

She looked to his side and saw and empty seat. Her father, Ozai, where was he? Surely he'd left for a business call or something; he had to keep up with those things at all times. This occasion was important to him. She looked to Zuko for reassurance and he gave her a sympathetic stare. She looked back to Sokka with a saddened look and he smiled, thinking it was more tears of joy. Then he saw what she had been looking at, an empty seat on the bench. He frowned with her and she gave his hands a firm squeeze.

"I do." She finally said when it was time to do so. Without being prompted she pulled Sokka into an embrace and pressed her lips to his, holding him close and waiting for him to react properly before closing her eyes to shed a tear.

She wouldn't let him get to her; she was done trying to please him.

**Burn.**

Azula sat on the couch, propping her weight up best she could. Well, the weight of her and this unborn child that ached her body. Her womb had at grown so much she hadn't bothered weighing herself anymore; it disgusted her. She lightly drew imaginary circles on it, her stomach; lifting her shirt just enough to expose some of her stretched porcelain skin. It was a girl, this small thing that seemed to hold her back. Of course they said they didn't want to know, but the idiots still gave Azula and Sokka the paperwork, concealed in an envelope. It took two days and four hours for Azula to rip open the results; she had to do something to keep from going insane. She had stopped working a couple weeks ago, forced maternity leave.

As she drew these imaginary lines she wondered if the developing body inside her could really feel her not-so-motherly touch. She wondered if this little girl could really hear her when she complained or cursed, or when she laughed and praised (a rare thing to hear). She wondered if their daughter heard her at night, when she whispered lullabies, just for her to hear. Sokka said all babies could hear these things while still in the womb, of course she had to act like she didn't believe it, still she couldn't help but wonder.

She also began thinking of names in secrecy. Sokka was too honest to look at the gender of the baby, if he had he'd have to tell her, which he didn't. So while he thought over girl and boy names and more boys because he was hopeful, she thought over her own names. All girl names, she wondered how devastated he'd be when he found out his baby a girl was indeed. She wondered how her father reacted to her and Zuko.

She wondered how Ursa was when she was pregnant. The first time, with Zuko, was she scared? Did she question all the things Azula was or did she already have a game plan? Ursa was always motherly, at least for as long as Azula could remember. But was she always like that; was she as indifferent to children as Azula felt? She could ask these things, had Ursa not disappeared. Had she not abandoned her family? Then again, Ozai seemed to disown her after discovering she was pregnant. She couldn't depend on anyone, aside from Sokka.

Oh, and Zuko. He seemed to make his face known since the incident with their father. Over dinner, go figure. The worst fights always happened at that table, the first severe one was when Zuko got kicked out. Now it was Azula who was stranded, and though she never offered a helping hand to her brother, he stopped by every other day while Sokka was working to check up on her. She almost confided in him she knew they were having a girl, almost. Either way, she was sure he'd be a supportive uncle.

She had men to help her, no woman to guide her through how this works. She wanted Ursa to appear, just for a short while, just to tell her the answers. Then she changed her mind.

Ursa didn't care about her; she'd only show up to watch her burn in her own lack of knowing.

**6 Gun Quota.**

Sokka grinned as Adala lay back on his lap, her tiny hands wrapped tight around his index fingers. She was beautiful at three months, his deep brown hair and Azula's golden eyes. Her skin seemed to be somewhere in the middle, but it still suited her right. She had such a playful smile, and her babbled words always sounded so excited to him. He figured he'd be able to adjust to a son faster, but now he was glad to have a girl. His little girl, so sweet an innocent. He was sure Azula was starting to get used to having a baby around, at least when she was home from work.

"Say Dadda." He said in a baby-like tone that caused Adala to giggle and pat his cheeks with her soft palms. He waited and got nothing more than meaningless babble. The only chance he would have to get her to say Dadda before Mama was when Azula wasn't around. Even if she didn't really care, she was still competitive. Speaking of which, she was already ten minutes late, he hoped she was ok.

"Nu-uh, say Tom-Tom." The boy pleaded beside him. Yes, his day off with a new baby meant he had become the public's babysitter; Mai's little brother included. Sokka rolled his eyes and pushed his face away, no way would her first word be 'Tom', not ever. Over the months of her pregnancy, Azula and Mai had slowly patched up their dispute, which seemed to ease her stress. He was glad, even if every now and then he had to watch this persistent child. 'Socializing is a good skill to develop at a young age' Azula would say, still, why did it have to be with an older boy? He let out a sigh, wait until she actually got a boyfriend.

"Dadda?" He said again and the baby yawned on his lap, stretching before starting to close her eyes. He pulled her up to rest her head on his shoulder, which she did without taking much of a fit. Curious Tom-Tom couldn't help but try to peek at the baby's face, which was now buried in Sokka's t-shirt. He leaned his head to hers; she only fell asleep this easily when she was tired.

But good things can't last, the door swung open abruptly and Adala squirmed uncomfortably, making a whining sound in his ears. His brows furrowed as he looked up to Azula, who already looked like she'd had a bad day.

"Your sister's waiting in the car outside." She stated bluntly to Tom-Tom, who nodded and went for the door, waving as he did so. She swung it shut and slipped off her heels, massaging the soles of her feet before placing them in the corner. Before Sokka could speak, she was in the bathroom with the door shut. He shook his head and carefully placed their daughter in the playpen, giving her a stuffed animal that managed to silence her tears for about three seconds.

"Azula?" He knocked on the door before opening it; she always complained he didn't give her time to say come in. He remembered, just right now he was a little frustrated. Having a family didn't even bring her home a little earlier, or lighten her mood. Was she doomed to the same fate as Ozai?

His thoughts broke when he watched her down the pills in her bottle dry. He arched a brow and she clenched it tightly in a fist, hiding it back in her purse until he grabbed her wrist to see.

"Anti-depressants?" He asked and she looked to the mirror on the bathroom wall, adjusting her hair casually. The baby's wails only grew louder with each second. "Azula?"

"You can't even handle watching her when I'm gone, can you?" She spat. He growled in his throat, yanking him to her by the wrist. He held the bottle in her face, waiting for her to explain. Azula, on the other hand, stayed in her state of shock. She was losing the circulation in her arm, she was tired of this. "Yes, Sokka, anti-depressants. I'm getting fucking depressed, having to work all day so I someone can make decent money to provide for a family." It was true, Sokka's income couldn't compare to hers. Still, she knew they were always well off if she didn't work so much. She needed some escape from this reality, though. He slammed her to the wall and she gasped.

"Azula, we have a daughter now. You can't just keep these things from me, you're my wife!" He reminded and she winced, turning her cheek to the side to avoid his gaze. He didn't seem to care. "You can't just run away from your problems, yeah, it's hard right now, but you can't just leave me to raise a family by my self."

"I want a divorce!" She shrieked and he stared in awe. A divorce? After all this, everything he tried to do for her? His grip loosened and she was panting. Maybe it was from screaming, maybe exhaustion. She assumed it was from getting so worked up she was wiping her eyes with her hands to dry them. The baby still cried in the background.

"You're not taking her…" He whispered, wanting to tell her to stay. He wanted to say how much better he'd make their lives, but he couldn't. He'd done it all so many times it was sickening. He could see her waiting for it, for his attempt he couldn't muster.

"I can't do this anymore…" She muttered, like it'd solve everything.

"And did you ever think to ask if I'm ok?" He whispered back and she remained silent. 'I didn't want her anyway' she wanted to say, but all she could think about was Ursa. Was she that low now, abandoning her own family and leaving her daughter motherless? She tried to think she wasn't, but Azula knew she was worse. At least deep down, she knew Ozai beat Ursa. She knew their dark secrets from spying at such a young age, and denying it as an adult. Sokka didn't beat her, he gave her his all. Still, here she was, ready to leave. "SO what do you want to do?"

"I…don't know."

**Lost In You.**

It was working, again. Of course it took convincing, on Sokka's part, but here she was, cradling a baby she had been scared to touch. She was so innocent, Adala, so fragile Azula was sure she was breakable as a porcelain doll. Still, the small girl clung to her mother's blouse, nuzzling against Azula's breast. Azula smiled, it was a warm smile, one she only caught herself sharing with Sokka.

Sokka sat beside her and wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulder; glad things were going so smoothly. Two months now, and Azula had agreed to counseling. It changed her for the better, even though he wasn't entirely sure about everyone, she treated her family right. She even came home early some days from work to prepare dinner and do small things. She was a new person, a better one. She had matured so greatly it amazed him. He loved her now as much as he had when he first met her.

"Here." He took hold of the slumbering baby and Azula nodded, gently holding Adala's hand before Sokka took her to tuck in. He came back out to find her at the doorway, grinning mischievously. He cocked his eyebrow and she slowly undid the tie to her robe, parting it slowly with her index finger. He returned her grin and picked her up in his arms, letting his hands wander as he took her to the room, dropping her on the bed before crawling between her legs. She slid her arms out of the satin robe and laced her arms around his neck.

"You're everything…" She whispered seriously. She wouldn't let it almost end so quickly again. She was making an effort this time, it wasn't all on him. He brushed his lips against hers, just enough so she felt his breath, just enough to tease.

"I'm nothing without you."

**Just A Dream.**

Sokka brushed his wife's hair over his shoulder as she sat on the couch, settling their six-month-old in the playpen. He crawled up beside her to lean in the warmth of her nape. It was mid-morning, her favorite time, and he was glad to see she awoke with a smile. Her hair slightly out of place, no make-up, and still not even showered and dressed, being happy in that state for her meant something. She always woke up and did everything right away, feeling she looked her best when she was ready to present herself.

To him, she was most beautiful the way she was now. The baby seemed to take up most of her time, most of their time, but she was content with that. She even suggested another one, once Adala was older. Sokka proudly agreed, he always hoped for a bigger family. Even if she only wanted two, that was plenty. He pecked her cheek and she looked over to him.

"Good morning." She traced his jaw line with her nail, giving him the chills before gently kissing his lips. She pulled him by the hand while Adala was distracted with the colors on the TV. He wasn't so used to her being spontaneous, especially with the lack of sleep they'd received the past few months. Still, she started the shower and wasted no time shedding her clothes, stepping in and signaling for him to follow with her index finger. Sokka complied without a protest and pulled her slim frame to his. Her wet hair ran down her back and her hands rubbed up and down his chest and shoulders.

"I love you…" He whispered in her ear while she continued to tease. He waited for her to respond, she always did. She would never deny loving him, at least not anymore.

But she couldn't, because after those words, Sokka woke up. He didn't wake up to his wife, it was impossible. Instead, to his side was an empty bed. No warmth was hidden under the made up blankets, no shape remaining of anything in the pillow. He sighed as he swung his legs over the bed. He looked to the dresser and threw a pair of pajama pants over his boxers. None of Azula's make-up or perfumes covered the top of it. Instead there was a lamp and a wedding picture. He lowered the frame so it faced the surface and went out of the bedroom.

He was used to those dreams, the one that had him yearning and wondering. The ones where he wanted to know where she was, and could only hope it was somewhere safe. He went into Adala's room and pulled the two-year-old out of her bed and rocking her back and forth in his arms.

"Daddy?" She yawned and buried her face back in his shoulder. He remained silent and continued cradling her, waiting for the feeling of loss and sadness to pass over. "What's the matter?" She pulled away to face him and he shook his head. It had to subside soon. She pecked his nose and he smiled to her, she was so sweet.

Azula was too, before she disappeared.


End file.
